Shoppers checking sugar claims
If you are looking for no added sugars, check the exact claim and ingredients as well as the sugars figure. A drink marked Sugarfree or Zero Sugar may contain sweeteners.
Who is this choice for?
The most useful starting point is what you mean by avoiding sugar, followed by whether you want caffeine with lunch.
Desk-lunch shoppers watching caffeine per can
Can size changes the amount you drink at once. Red Bull lists 80 mg caffeine in a 250 ml Sugarfree can; Monster lists 160 mg in a 500 ml Zero Sugar can. Coffee, tea and other caffeine consumed that day also matter.
Shoppers avoiding sweeteners
A 0 g sugars figure is not an ingredient list. Check the particular can if sweeteners are part of what you want to avoid: Tesco lists them for Red Bull Sugar Free and Monster Ultra.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the claim and ingredient list, then compare caffeine for the amount you would actually drink at lunch.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar claim and ingredients | Read the exact front-of-pack claim, sugars per 100 ml and ingredient list. Check separately for sweeteners or ingredients used for sweetening; do not treat Sugarfree, Zero Sugar and no added sugars as interchangeable wording. | I want to know whether a drink fits my particular requirement, rather than relying on one phrase on the front of the can. |
| Caffeine per can | Compare both caffeine per 100 ml and caffeine in the full can. Red Bull reports 80 mg in 250 ml Sugarfree; Monster reports 160 mg in 500 ml Zero Sugar. | A larger can might mean more caffeine at lunch, even when I am comparing drinks with similar figures per 100 ml. |
| Caffeine warning | Read the warning on the particular product. Tesco’s Red Bull Sugar Free listing states that it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women. | I need to check whether the product warning applies to the person drinking it; zero sugar does not remove the caffeine decision. |
| Type of drink | Check whether the product is an energy drink or a sparkling soft drink. Lucozade describes Zero as a zero-sugar soft-drink range and Alert separately as a high-caffeine range. | If I just want a zero-sugar drink with lunch, I do not need to choose an energy drink on the strength of its sugar claim. |
| Pack and serving size | Check the number of cans, millilitres per can and whether the nutrition and caffeine figures refer to 100 ml or a complete can. | A single can is my lunch serving, even if I buy several cans together. |
Common buying mistakes
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Assuming zero sugar also means no sweeteners
Tesco lists 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Red Bull Sugar Free and lists sweeteners in its ingredients. Its Monster Ultra listing likewise shows zero sugar and lists sweeteners.
If avoiding sweeteners matters to you, read the ingredients on the exact product. Check a no-added-sugars claim separately rather than deciding from the sugars figure alone.
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Comparing caffeine only per 100 ml
Red Bull’s 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine, while Monster’s 500 ml Zero Sugar can contains 160 mg. The whole-can amounts are the relevant figures if you intend to drink the entire can at lunch.
Compare caffeine per can and account for other caffeinated drinks you have that day.
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Assuming zero sugar makes a drink suitable for everyone
A sugar claim does not change a product’s caffeine content or warning. Tesco’s Red Bull Sugar Free listing carries a warning for children and pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Read the warning on the can before choosing it for someone else. If the warning applies, consider a drink without that caffeine warning instead.
Brand ranges worth distinguishing
A brand name alone cannot settle the sugar, sweetener or caffeine question: check the specific range and can.
Red Bull
Red Bull Sugarfree is a 250 ml energy-drink option for shoppers who accept sweeteners and want to compare a smaller can with 500 ml alternatives.
- Red Bull states that a 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine.
- Tesco lists sweeteners for its Red Bull Sugar Free product. Check the ingredients on the pack you buy if sweeteners matter to you.
Monster
Monster has 500 ml zero-sugar energy-drink options for shoppers considering a larger single can.
- Monster states that its 500 ml Zero Sugar can contains 160 mg caffeine; Tesco also lists zero sugar and 160 mg caffeine for Monster Ultra.
- Tesco lists sweeteners for Monster Ultra. Check the exact variant’s ingredients rather than applying one range label to every can.
Lucozade
Lucozade Zero and Lucozade Alert answer different desk-lunch needs.
- Lucozade describes Zero as a zero-sugar sparkling soft-drink range.
- Lucozade identifies Alert separately as a high-caffeine range. Do not infer Alert’s caffeine characteristics from a Zero label.
Relentless
Relentless offers energy drinks in multiple flavours; choose by the label of the particular flavour and can size.
- Its product range gives shoppers flavours to compare.
- Check sugars, ingredients and caffeine on the exact can. Relentless’s Guava product page advises against use by children, people sensitive to caffeine, and pregnant or nursing women.
Joybuy energy-drink options
These packs cover a drink with a stated no-added-sugars claim and two Sugarfree or zero-sugar energy-drink options. Check the exact can’s claim and ingredients if avoiding sweeteners is part of your choice.
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PerfectTed Matcha Energy Very Cherry 4 × 250 ml
The four 250 ml cans offer a single-can format for a desk lunch. The listing states a no-added-sugars claim and names fruit juices; check the exact on-pack claim and ingredients if avoiding ingredients used for sweetening is important to you. Read the can’s caffeine amount and warning before drinking it.
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Red Bull Sugarfree Energy Drink, 4 × 250 ml
This four-pack offers 250 ml cans if you want a smaller serving than a 500 ml option. Red Bull states that its 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine. Sugarfree does not mean sweetener-free: check this pack’s ingredients and caffeine warning before choosing it.
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Monster Ultra White, 12 × 500 ml
This zero-sugar multipack contains 500 ml cans, so compare caffeine for a whole can before making one your lunch drink. If you avoid sweeteners, inspect the ingredients on this exact pack; also read its caffeine warning.
Questions about sugar and caffeine
Does Sugarfree mean no added sugars or no sweeteners?
No: Sugarfree alone does not answer either question for a particular can. Read its exact claim and ingredient list. Tesco’s listings show that Red Bull Sugar Free and Monster Ultra can have zero sugars while listing sweeteners.
How much caffeine is in a 250 ml or 500 ml can?
It depends on the drink. Red Bull states that its 250 ml Sugarfree can contains 80 mg caffeine, and Monster states that its 500 ml Zero Sugar can contains 160 mg. Use the figure for the exact can you plan to drink, not can size alone.
Does zero sugar change a high-caffeine warning?
No. Check the warning on the particular drink regardless of its sugar claim. For example, Tesco’s Red Bull Sugar Free listing says it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Is Lucozade Zero an alternative to a zero-sugar energy drink?
Lucozade Zero is an option if you want a zero-sugar sparkling soft drink rather than an energy-drink format. Lucozade describes Alert separately as a high-caffeine range, so check the particular product if caffeine is part of your decision.